Dryer

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a dryer. The dryer of the present disclosure includes a cabinet forming an exterior, a drum rotatably installed inside the cabinet, a heat pump module including an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expander through which a refrigerant circulates to supply hot and dry air into the drum, a compressor chamber housing configured to reduce noise generated by the compressor and form a compressor chamber which is a space through which air flows around an outer periphery of the compressor, and a cooling fan configured to cause air to flow into the compressor chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a dryer, and more particularly, to adryer including a compressor chamber for cooling a compressor whileblocking noise generated by the compressor.

Related Art

In general, a laundry treatment device is a device for processinglaundry through various operations such as washing, dehydration and/ordrying, and collectively refers to a washing machine, a dehydrator, anda clothing dryer.

In particular, the clothing dryer is a device for drying laundry byblowing hot air into a drum into which wet laundry is loaded whilerotating the drum.

Meanwhile, a compressor driving device is a device for controlling amotor in the compressor driving device to adjust a pressure of arefrigerant condensed in the compressor, and in particular, thecompressor driving device may be used to drive the compressor in theclothing dryer.

In the clothing dryer, since noise is mainly generated by thecompressor, in order to block or reduce the noise generated by thecompressor, a structure may be formed in which an outer peripheralsurface of the compressor is wrapped with a sound absorbing materialand/or a sound insulating material.

However, when the periphery of the compressor is wrapped with the soundabsorbing material and/or the sound insulating material, heat generatedby the compressor is not discharged to the outside, and thus, atemperature of the compressor increases, which affects the operation ofthe compressor. In particular, in the case of a dryer, sincehigh-temperature air flows therein to maintain a high internaltemperature, it is necessary to cool the compressor. Even when aseparate cooling fan is operated outside the compressor surrounded bythe sound absorbing material, there is a problem in that the temperatureof the compressor is not easily lowered due to the sound absorbingmaterial.

SUMMARY

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a dryer capable oflowering a temperature of a compressor disposed inside a dryer.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dryer thatreduces noise generated by the compressor while cooling the compressor.

Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dryer forcooling a compressor control panel for controlling the compressor withair cooling a compressor.

Objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the objectsmentioned above, and other objects not mentioned will be clearlyunderstood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided adryer including: a cabinet forming an exterior; a drum rotatablyinstalled inside the cabinet; a heat pump module including anevaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expander through which arefrigerant circulates to supply hot and dry air into the drum; acompressor chamber housing configured to reduce noise generated by thecompressor and form a compressor chamber which is a space through whichair flows around an outer periphery of the compressor; and a cooling fanconfigured to cause air to flow into the compressor chamber.Accordingly, the compressor chamber housing can reduce the noisegenerated by the compressor and form the space through which air flowsaround the compressor.

In the dryer according to the present disclosure, the cooling fan may bedisposed to face the compressor, and thus, it is possible to directlycause air to flow around the compressor.

In the dryer of the dryer according to the present disclosure, thecompressor chamber housing may include an inlet port through which airoutside the cabinet flows into the compressor chamber, and an exhaustport through which air inside the compressor chamber flows to an outsideof the compressor chamber housing. Accordingly, it is possible to coolthe compressor with external air.

In the dryer according to the present disclosure, the cooling fan may bedisposed at the inlet port of the compressor chamber housing, disposedat the exhaust port of the compressor chamber housing, or disposedinside the compressor chamber.

A surface on which the inlet port of the compressor chamber housing maybe formed faces one side of the cabinet, and in this case, the externalair may flow into the compressor chamber.

When the cooling fan is disposed inside the compressor chamber, a sizeof the cooling fan may be larger than a size of the inlet port formed inthe compressor chamber housing, and thus, it is possible to narrow aspace through which noise generated by the compressor escapes to theoutside.

The dryer according to the present disclosure may further include aconnecting pipe configured to connect the inlet port of the compressorchamber housing and a cabinet-inlet port formed to cause external air toflow into one side of the cabinet to each other, and thus, thecompressor chamber may be disposed in an inside away from the cabinet.

In the dryer according to the present disclosure, the cooling fan may bedisposed in the cabinet-inlet port formed on one side of the cabinet,and thus, it is possible to cause the external air to flow into thecompressor chamber.

The compressor chamber housing of the dryer according to the presentdisclosure may include a sound absorbing material configured to reducenoise generated by the compressor; and a structural member configured tomaintain an outer shape of the compressor chamber housing. Accordingly,it is possible to maintain the shape of the compressor chamber andreduce the noise generated by the compressor.

The compressor chamber housing of the dryer according to the presentdisclosure may include a skin layer disposed on both side surfaces ofthe sound absorbing material to insulate the noise generated by thecompressor. Accordingly, it is possible to insulate the noise generatedby the compressor.

The compressor chamber housing of the dryer according to the presentdisclosure may include an auxiliary hole formed so as not to interferewith a structure connected to the compressor. Accordingly, it ispossible to avoid interference with the structure of the compressor, andto form a passage through which air flowing through the compressorchamber communicates with the outside of the compressor chamber.

The dryer according to the present disclosure may further include acompressor control panel configured to control driving of thecompressor, a compressor control panel chamber configured to form aspace in which the compressor control panel is disposed, and an innerconnecting pipe configured to feed air exhausted from the compressorchamber to the compressor control panel chamber. Accordingly, it ispossible to cool the compressor control panel which controls thecompressor.

In the dryer according to the present disclosure, the cooling fan may bedisposed at a portion in which the compressor chamber housing and theinner connecting pipe are connected to each other, and thus, it ispossible to cause air in the compressor chamber to flow to thecompressor control panel chamber.

The details of other embodiments are included in the detaileddescription and drawings.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

According to the dryer of the present disclosure, there are one or moreof the following effects.

According to the dryer according to the present disclosure, thecompressor chamber is provided to reduce noise generated by thecompressor and form the compressor chamber which is the space throughwhich air flows around the outer periphery of the compressor, and thecooling fan causes air to flow into the compressor chamber housing tocool the compressor.

Specifically, a ratio of a volume occupied by the compressor in thecompressor chamber is formed above a certain level, a material of thecompressor chamber housing is formed of a sound absorbing material and astructural member forming the structure, the air flow in the compressorchamber is formed above a certain level to cool the compressor, andthus, it is possible to absorb and insulate the noise generated by thecompressor.

In addition, the compressor chamber and the compressor control panelchamber in which the compressor control panel for controlling thecompressor is disposed are connected, the cooling fan is disposedtherebetween, and thus, the compressor chamber and the compressorcontrol panel chamber can be simultaneously cooled.

Effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effectsmentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearlyunderstood by those skilled in the art from descriptions of claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dryer according to one embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a view for describing a flow of air inside the dryer accordingto one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a view for describing a configuration of a lower portion ofthe dryer including a compressor chamber according to one embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a view of a state in which a compressor chamber housing isremoved in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII′ of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are views for describing a material of the compressorchamber housing according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9A is a view for describing a shape of a compressor chamber housingand an arrangement of a cooling fan according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9B is a view for describing an embodiment having an arrangementdifferent from the arrangement of the cooling fan in FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C is a view for describing still another embodiment having anarrangement different from the arrangement of the cooling fan in FIG.9A.

FIG. 9D is a view for describing still another embodiment having anarrangement different from the arrangement of the cooling fan in FIG.9A.

FIG. 10 is a view for describing a shape of a compressor chamber housingand an arrangement of a cooling fan according to another embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are views for describing a shape of a compressorchamber housing and an arrangement of a cooling fan according to stillanother embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a view for views for describing a shape of a compressorchamber housing and an arrangement of a cooling fan according to stillanother embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a view for views for describing a shape of a compressorchamber housing and an arrangement of a cooling fan according to stillanother embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a view for views for describing a shape of a compressorchamber housing and an arrangement of a cooling fan according to stillanother embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a view for views for describing a shape of a compressorchamber housing and an arrangement of a cooling fan according to stillanother embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a view for describing a shape of a compressor chamberhousing, an arrangement of a cooling fan, and a connection relationshipof the compressor control panel chamber according to still anotherembodiment of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods ofachieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodimentsdescribed below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodimentsdisclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms. Thatis, only the present embodiments are provided so that the disclosure ofthe present disclosure is complete and the scope of the invention tothose of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosurebelongs completely, and the present disclosure is only defined by thescope of claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elementsthroughout.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described with reference tothe drawings for describing a dryer according to the embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

<Overall Configuration of Dryer>

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dryer according to one embodiment ofthe present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a view for describing a flow of airinside the dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

A dryer 10 according to the present embodiment includes a cabinet 12which forms an exterior, a drum 30 which is rotatably installed insidethe cabinet 12, a driving device which rotates the drum 30, and a heatpump module which supplies high-temperature air to the drum 30.

The cabinet 12 according to the present embodiment forms the exterior ofthe dryer 10 and provides a space in which the drum 30 and othercomponents are disposed. The cabinet 12 may have a substantiallyrectangular parallelepiped shape.

An inlet 24 through a drying target is loaded or taken out is formed ona front surface of the cabinet 12, and the inlet 24 may be opened orclosed by the door 26. The door 26 according to the present embodimentis hinged to the front surface of the cabinet 12 to open or close theinlet 24 formed in the front of the cabinet 12.

The cabinet 12 according to the present embodiment may include a frontcover 14, a top plate 16, side covers 18, and a base 20. The abovecomponents may be a structure to be fastened with each independentcomponent, and some of the components may be formed as an integrallyformed structure.

The door 26 according to the present embodiment may be rotatably coupledto the front cover 14 and include a door glass 28. The door glass 28 maybe made of a transparent member so that a user can see inside the drum30. The door 26 according to the present embodiment may have a convexshape to the inside of the drum 30.

A control panel 17 may be disposed on the front cover 14. The controlpanel 22 may include a display (for example, LCD, LED panel, or thelike) for displaying an operation state of the dryer, an operation unit(for example, button, dial, touch screen, or the like) that receives anoperation command for the dryer from the user, and a speaker (notillustrated) that outputs a voice guidance for the operation state, aneffect sound, or a warning sound.

The drum 30 according to the present embodiment is disposed inside thecabinet 12. In order to maximize the capacity of the drum 30 in theinterior space of the cabinet 12, a blower fan 44 and a heat pump moduleaccording to the present embodiment may be disposed in a lower portionof the drum 30.

The drum 30 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having open front andback surfaces. The drum 30 according to the present embodiment may havea clothes inlet 24 through which a drying target is loaded on a frontsurface of the drum 30. In addition, a communication hole 32 throughwhich air circulating through the drum 30 is introduced may be formed onthe rear surface of the drum 30.

At least one lift 34 is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of thedrum 30. The lift 34 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of thedrum 30 in a front-rear direction, and when the drum 30 rotates, thedrying target is lifted and then freely dropped by the lift 34. The drum30 according to the present embodiment may be supported by a supporter(not illustrated) provided in the cabinet 12.

The driving device according to the present embodiment includes a motor42 fixed to the base 20 of the cabinet 12, and a driving belt (notillustrated) that transmits a rotational force of the motor 42 to thedrum 30. The motor 42 according to the present embodiment may include adriving pulley on which a driving belt wound around the drum 30 isapplied to a driving shaft to which the drum 30 is connected.

The drum 30 may rotate in a forward or reverse direction by rotation ofthe motor. An idle pulley (not illustrated) for adjusting the tension ofthe driving belt may be installed. The driving belt may surround theouter peripheral surface of the drum 30 while being caught by thedriving pulley and the idle pulley. When the motor rotates, the drivingbelt may be transferred by the driving pulley, and the drum 30 may berotated by a frictional force acting between the driving pulley and thedriving belt.

The motor 42 according to the present embodiment may be connected to theblower fan 44 to rotate the blower fan 44. The motor 42 according to thepresent embodiment is a double-axis motor, and the drum 30 and theblower fan 44 may be connected to each drive shaft.

The blower fan 44 may be rotated by the motor of the driving device. Byrotation of the blower fan 44, air in the drum 30 may be introduced intoa suction duct 46.

When the blower fan 44 rotates, the air discharged from the drum 30 isguided to the suction duct 46 and supplied to the blower fan 44. Thesuction duct 46 is coupled to a front surface of a front supporter, andcommunicates with the suction port of the blower fan 44. The blower fan44 circulates the air by allowing the air sucked from the drum to flowback into the drum through the heat pump module.

When the drum 30 rotates forward, air may be introduced from the rearsurface side and discharged the air toward the front surface side. Inaddition, when the drum rotates in reverse, air may be introduced fromthe front surface side and discharged to the rear surface side.

The drum 30, the suction duct 46, and the heat pump module according tothe present embodiment may form a circulation path through which the airinside the dryer 10 circulates.

The circulation path may be configured in various ways according toembodiments. The circulation path guides the air discharged from theblower fan to be introduced into the heat pump module, and also guidesthe air discharged from the heat pump module to be introduced into thedrum through the heater. The circulation path is also provided on therear surface side of the drum to guide the heated air to be introducedinto the drum 30.

The circulation path passing through the drum 30 may be formed invarious ways. The circulation path may be connected to the drum to forma closed loop for air circulation. In addition, the circulation path maybe connected to an exhaust duct (not illustrated) for discharging airand the suction duct 46 through which outside air is introduced.

A filter assembly 54 is installed in the inlet to collect lint containedin the air discharged from the drum 30 and introduced into the suctionduct.

The heat pump module circulates the refrigerant to operate a heat pumpcycle.

The drying target accommodated in the drum 30 is dried by the heated airsupplied to the drum. The air discharged from the drum collects moistureevaporated from the laundry during a drying process, flows into thecirculation path, is heated through the heat pump module, and thensupplied to the drum again.

The heat pump module includes an evaporator 50, a compressor 100, acondenser 52, and an expander (not illustrated) through which therefrigerant circulates, and dries and heats the air flowing into thedrum 30.

The heat pump module includes the compressor 100 for compressing therefrigerant, the condenser 52 for condensing the compressed refrigerant,an expander for expanding the condensed refrigerant, and the evaporator50 for evaporating the expanded refrigerant. The moisture contained inthe air discharged from the drum 30 is condensed while passing throughthe evaporator 50, and low-humidity air heated while passing through thecondenser 52 may be supplied to the drum 30.

<Compressor Chamber and Cooling Fan>

FIG. 3 is a view for describing a configuration of a lower portion ofthe dryer including a compressor chamber according to one embodiment ofthe present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a view of a state in which acompressor chamber housing is removed in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a rearperspective view of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is across-sectional view taken along line VII-VII′ of FIG. 6. FIGS. 8A and8B are views for describing a material of the compressor chamber housingaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The dryer 10 according to the present embodiment is the compressor 100which compresses the refrigerant flowing through the heat pump module, acompressor chamber housing 112 which is spaced apart from the outerperiphery of the compressor 100 to form a space in which the compressor100 is disposed, and a cooling fan 110 which causes air inside thecompressor chamber housing 112 to flow.

The compressor chamber housing 112 according to the present embodimentforms a compressor chamber 114 which is the space in which thecompressor 100 is disposed. In addition to the space in which thecompressor 100 is disposed, the compressor chamber 114 according to thepresent embodiment includes a space in which air flows to the outerperiphery of the compressor 100. The space other than the compressor 100in the compressor chamber 114 may be set in a range in which a flow rateof the air flowing in the cooling fan 110 can maintain a predeterminedspeed or more. A ratio of a volume occupied by the compressor 100 in thecompressor chamber 114 according to the present embodiment may be in therange of 1/2 to 1/4.

The compressor chamber housing 112 according to the present embodimentis spaced apart from the outer periphery of the compressor 100 to blocknoise generated by the compressor 100. The compressor chamber housing112 according to the present embodiment forms a space in which thecompressor 100 is cooled so that the air flowing by the compressorcooling fan 110 flows along the periphery of the compressor 100.

Referring to FIG. 6, the compressor chamber housing 112 according to thepresent embodiment may have a column shape having a pentagonalcross-section. However, the shape of the cross-section may be formeddifferently depending on a lower space of the dryer 10, and may bepolygonal such as a quadrilateral or circular.

The compressor chamber housing 112 according to the present embodimentmay include at least one inlet port 116 through which air flows into thecompressor chamber 114 and at least one exhaust port 118 through whichair in the compressor chamber 114 is discharged.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 7, the compressor chamber housing 112 accordingto the present embodiment includes the inlet port 116 through which airfrom the outside of the dryer 10 flows into the compressor chamber 114,and the exhaust port 118 through which the air inside the compressorchamber 114 is discharged to the outside of the compressor chamber 114.In the compressor chamber housing 112 according to the presentembodiment, an auxiliary hole 119 is formed so as not to interfere witha structure of the compressor 100. Air outside the compressor chamber114 may be introduced into the compressor chamber 114 through theauxiliary hole 119, or air inside the compressor chamber 114 may bedischarged to the outside of the compressor chamber 114.

The cooling fan 110 for causing external air to flow into the compressorchamber 114 is disposed at the inlet port 116 of the compressor chamberhousing 112 according to the present embodiment. However, this is oneexemplary embodiment, and the cooling fan 110 may be disposed in theexhaust port 118 of the compressor chamber housing 112 or may bedisposed inside the compressor chamber 114. In addition, in some cases,the cooling fan 110 may be installed to discharge the air inside thecompressor chamber 114 to the outside of the dryer. The compressorchamber housing 112 according to the present embodiment may be disposedto face the surface on which the communication hole 32 of the cabinet 12is formed on one side where the inlet port 116 is formed.

Referring to FIG. 6, the inlet port 116 of the compressor chamberhousing 112 in which the cooling fan 110 is disposed is disposed incommunication with the outside of the dryer 10, and the exhaust port 118is disposed in communication with the inner space of the dryer 10.

The compressor chamber housing 112 according to the present embodimentis formed so that air flowing by the compressor cooling fan 110 flowsalong the periphery of the compressor 100. The compressor chamberhousing 112 according to the present embodiment guides the air flowingthrough the compressor chamber 114 to flow to the outer periphery of thecompressor 100.

The compressor chamber housing 112 according to the present embodimentblocks the noise generated by the compressor 100. Referring to FIG. 8A,the compressor chamber housing 112 according to the present embodimentincludes a sound absorbing material 120 for reducing the noise generatedby the compressor 100 and a structural member 130 for maintaining theouter shape of the compressor chamber housing 112. The structural member130 according to the present embodiment may be formed of a materialcapable of maintaining the structure of the compressor chamber housing112. The structural member 130 according to the present embodiment mayuse a sheet of an Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer (EVA) resin.

The sound absorbing material 120 according to the present embodiment maybe formed of a material capable of absorbing the noise generated by thecompressor 100 and reducing the noise escaping to the outside. The soundabsorbing material 120 according to the present embodiment may be aporous member made of a material of polypropylene (PP) and polyethyleneterephthalate (PET).

In addition, referring to FIG. 8B, the compressor chamber housing 112according to the present embodiment may have a structure capable ofabsorbing or insulating noise generated by the compressor 100 by formingskin layers on both side surfaces of the sound absorbing material 120.

The cooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment is disposedtoward the compressor 100. Here, when the cooling fan 110 is disposedtoward the compressor 100, it means that an imaginary line extendingfrom a rotation axis of the cooling fan 110 passes through thecompressor 100. Accordingly, when the cooling fan 110 disposed towardthe compressor 100 is operated, air may flow in the direction of thecompressor 100 or may flow air in the opposite direction. The compressorcooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment cools the compressor100 by flowing air in the compressor chamber 114.

<Shape of Compressor Chamber Housing and Arrangement of Cooling Fan>

FIG. 9 is a view for describing a shape of a compressor chamber housingand an arrangement of a cooling fan according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 10 is a view for describing a shape of acompressor chamber housing and an arrangement of a cooling fan accordingto another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 11A and 11B areviews for describing a shape of a compressor chamber housing and anarrangement of a cooling fan according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 12 is a view for views for describing a shapeof a compressor chamber housing and an arrangement of a cooling fanaccording to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13is a view for views for describing a shape of a compressor chamberhousing and an arrangement of a cooling fan according to still anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a view for views fordescribing a shape of a compressor chamber housing and an arrangement ofa cooling fan according to still another embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 15 is a view for views for describing a shape of acompressor chamber housing and an arrangement of a cooling fan accordingto still another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is a viewfor describing a shape of a compressor chamber housing, an arrangementof a cooling fan, and a connection relationship of the compressorcontrol panel chamber according to still another embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Hereinafter, the shape of the compressor chamber housing and thearrangement of the cooling fan according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 16.

Referring to FIG. 9A, the compressor chamber 114 according to thepresent embodiment may have the shape of a square box spaced apart fromthe periphery of the compressor 100. The compression chamber housing 112according to the present embodiment includes an inlet port 116 throughwhich external air flows into the compressor chamber 114 is formed onone of peripheral surfaces thereof and an exhaust port 118 through whichair inside the compressor chamber 114 is discharged is formed on theother of the peripheral surfaces.

A cooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment is installed atthe inlet port 116 of the compressor chamber housing 112. The coolingfan 110 according to the present embodiment is disposed to face thecompressor 100. The cooling fan 110 causes the external air to flow tothe compressor 100.

One surface side of the compression chamber housing 112 on which theinlet port 116 is formed according to the present embodiment may be aportion that faces the cabinet 12. In this case, the external air may beintroduced into the compressor chamber 114 by the operation of thecooling fan 110 to cool the compressor 100.

The exhaust port 118 of the compressor chamber housing 112 according tothe present embodiment may communicate with the inner space of the dryer10. The air inside the compressor chamber 114 may flow into the dryer 10through the exhaust port 118 and may be discharged from the dryer 10through a communication hole (not illustrated) provided separately onone side surface of the cabinet 12.

Referring to FIG. 9B, the cooling fan 110 may be spaced apart from thecompressor chamber housing 112. The cooling fan 110 may be disposedoutside the compressor chamber 114 formed by the compressor chamberhousing 112. Specifically, the cooling fan 110 may be spaced apart fromthe inlet port 116 formed in the compressor chamber housing 112.

Referring to FIG. 9B, the cooling fan 110 is disposed outside thecompressor chamber 114 and spaced apart from the inlet port 116 formedin the compressor chamber housing 112. In this case, due to the flow ofair flowing through the cooling fan 110 when the cooling fan 110 isoperated, air not passing through the cooling fan 110 can flow into thecompressor chamber 114.

Referring to FIG. 9C, the cooling fan 110 may be spaced apart from thecompressor chamber housing 112. The cooling fan 110 may be disposedinside the compressor chamber 114 formed by the compressor chamberhousing 112. Specifically, the cooling fan 110 may be disposed insidethe compressor chamber 114 spaced apart from the inlet port 116 formedby the compressor chamber housing 112.

Referring to FIG. 9C, the cooling fan 110 is disposed inside thecompressor chamber 114 and spaced apart from the inlet port 116 formedby the compressor chamber housing 112 in the direction of the compressor100. In this case, due to the flow of air flowing through the coolingfan 110 when the cooling fan 110 is operated, the air introduced intothe inlet port 116 does not go through the cooling fan 110 and can flowin the direction in which the compressor 100 is disposed.

Referring to FIG. 9D, the cooling fan 110 may be disposed at the exhaustport 118 of the compressor chamber housing 112. The cooling fan 110 isdisposed at the exhaust port 118, and thus, air inside the compressorchamber 114 may flow to the outside through the exhaust port 118.

In this case, the external air flows into the compressor chamber 114through the inlet port 116, forms an air flow around the compressor 110,cools the compressor 100, and flows through the exhaust port 118.

Referring to FIG. 10, a compressor chamber 114 according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure may also have a substantiallyrectangular box shape. In a compression chamber housing 112 according tothe present embodiment, an inlet port 116 through which external airflows into the compressor chamber 114 is formed on one side surface of aperipheral surface of the housing 112, and an exhaust port 118 throughwhich the air inside the compressor chamber 114 is discharged to theoutside is formed on the other side surface of the peripheral surface.

The inlet port 116 of the compressor chamber housing 112 according tothe present embodiment is formed to be smaller than a size of thecooling fan 110. The cooling fan 110 according to the present embodimentmay be disposed inside the compressor chamber housing 112. The coolingfan 110 according to the present embodiment is disposed inside thecompressor chamber 114. The cooling fan 110 according to the presentembodiment causes the external air to flow into the compressor chamber114. The cooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment is disposedto face the compressor 100.

In the compressor chamber housing 112 according to the presentembodiment, the size of the inlet port 116 is reduced, and thus, it ispossible to reduce the noise generated by the compressor 100 fromescaping to the outside.

Referring to FIG. 11A, a compressor chamber 114 according to stillanother embodiment of the present disclosure may have a cylindricalshape spaced apart from a periphery of a compressor 100. A compressorchamber housing 112 according to the present embodiment is spaced apartfrom each other at regular intervals along an outer periphery of thecompressor 100 having a cylindrical shape. In the compressor chamberhousing 112 according to the present embodiment, an inlet port 116 isformed on one side of the peripheral surface, and a cooling fan 110 maybe disposed in the inlet port 116. The compressor chamber housing 112according to the present embodiment may be spaced apart from a base 20of a dryer 10 by a predetermined interval to form an exhaust port on thelower side of the peripheral surface. In this case, the inlet port 116may be disposed in an upper portion of the compressor chamber housing112.

The inlet port 116 of the compressor chamber housing 112 in which thecooling fan 110 is disposed may be disposed in communication with acommunication hole 32 formed at one side of the cabinet 12. That is, thecompressor chamber housing 112 may be disposed to face the surface onwhich the communication hole 32 of the cabinet 12 is formed on one sidewhere the inlet port 116 is formed.

Accordingly, air introduced into the compressor chamber 114 from theoutside by the operation of the cooling fan 110 flows along theperiphery of the compressor 100 and moves downward to exhaust theinternal space of the dryer 10.

Referring to FIG. 11B, it is also possible for the cooling fan 110 tooperate so that the air flow direction inside the compressor chamber 114is reversed. In this case, when the cooling fan 110 is operated, the airinside the dryer 10 disposed outside the compressor chamber 114 flowsinto the compressor chamber 114 to cool the compressor 100, and is thendischarged to the outside of the cabinet 12.

Referring to FIG. 12, according to still another embodiment, a coolingfan 110 may be disposed in an upper surface of a compressor chamberhousing 112, and an exhaust port 118 may be formed at a lower side ofthe compressor chamber housing 112. In this case, the air inside thedryer 10 is introduced into the compressor chamber 114, flows inside thecompressor chamber 114, and is discharged to the outside of thecompressor chamber housing 112 to cool the compressor 100.

Referring to FIG. 13, according to still another embodiment of thepresent disclosure, a cooling fan 110 may be disposed in one sidesurface of a cabinet 12 separated from a compressor chamber housing 112.An inlet port 116 of the compressor chamber housing 112 is connected tothe cooling fan 110 through a separate connecting pipe 132.

The cooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment may be disposedat a higher position than the compressor chamber housing 112. The inletport 116 according to the present embodiment may be formed on an upperside of the compressor chamber housing 112, and an exhaust port 118 maybe formed on the lower side of the compressor chamber housing 112.Accordingly, air from the outside of the dryer 10 flows into thecompressor chamber 114 through the connecting pipe 132 by the operationof the cooling fan 110, and the air inside the compressor chamber 114flows from the upper side to the lower side along the periphery of thecompressor 100 to cool the compressor 100.

Referring to FIG. 14, according to still another embodiment of thepresent disclosure, a cooling fan 110 may also be disposed in one sidesurface of the cabinet 12 separated from a compressor chamber housing112. An inlet port 116 of the compressor chamber housing 112 isconnected to the cooling fan 110 through a separate connecting pipe 132.

The cooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment may be disposedbetween the upper side and the lower side of the compressor chamberhousing 112. The cooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment maybe disposed in a communication hole 32 formed on one side of the cabinet12. The inlet port 116 according to the present embodiment may be formedon a peripheral surface of the compressor chamber housing 112, andexhaust ports 118 may be formed on upper and lower sides of thecompressor chamber housing 112. The inlet port 116 of the compressorchamber housing 112 according to the present embodiment may be disposedin consideration of the distance from the exhaust ports 118 respectivelyformed on the upper side and the lower side, and the size of eachexhaust port.

Accordingly, air from the outside of the dryer 10 flows into thecompressor chamber 114 by the operation of the cooling fan 110, and theair inside the compressor chamber 114 may flow upward and downward alongthe peripheral surface of the compressor 100 to cool the compressor 100.

Referring to FIG. 15, according to still another embodiment of thepresent disclosure, a cooling fan 110 is disposed in an exhaust port 118of a compressor chamber housing 112. The exhaust port 118 according tothe present embodiment may be formed on the peripheral surface of thecompressor chamber housing 112. The exhaust port 118 according to thepresent embodiment may be formed on in upper portion of the peripheralsurface of the compressor chamber housing 112.

The inlet port 116 according to the present embodiment may be disposedin a lower portion of the peripheral surface of the compressor chamberhousing 112. The inlet port 116 according to the present embodiment maybe connected to a communication hole 32 of a cabinet 12 through aconnecting pipe 132.

The cooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment causes the airinside the compressor chamber 114 to flow to the outside of thecompressor chamber 114. When the cooling fan 110 is operated, air isintroduced through the inlet port 116 formed on the lower side of theperipheral surface of the compressor chamber housing 112. In thecompressor chamber 114, the air introduced through the inlet port 116may flow from the lower side to the upper side along the periphery ofthe compressor 100. The air flowing to the upper side of the compressorchamber 114 may flow to the outside of the compressor chamber 114through the cooling fan 110.

Referring to FIG. 16, a dryer 10 according to still another embodimentof the present disclosure may include a main control panel (notillustrated) for controlling the operation of the dryer and a compressorcontrol panel 140 for driving the compressor 100. The compressor controlpanel 140 for controlling the operation of the compressor 100 may bedisposed in the compressor control panel chamber 142 in a lower portionof the drum 30. The dryer 10 according to the present embodiment mayfurther include a compressor control panel chamber 142 forming a spacein which the compressor control panel 140 is disposed, and an internalconnecting pipe 144 connecting the compressor control panel chamber 142and the compressor chamber 114.

The compressor control panel 140 is a device for controlling acompressor motor (not illustrated) in the compressor 100 to adjust apressure of a refrigerant discharged from the compressor 100, and inparticular, controls driving of the compressor 100. The compressorcontrol panel 140 according to the present embodiment may control theswitching frequency of each switching element of the inverter 420 to beoperated within a preset range in order to reduce noise generated whenthe compressor is driven.

The compressor control panel 140 according to the present embodiment maybe connected to the compressor 100 by an electrical connection line 146.

An exhaust port 118 of a compressor chamber housing 112 according to thepresent embodiment may be connected to the compressor control panelchamber 142 through the internal connecting pipe 144. The compressorchamber 114 and the compressor control panel chamber 142 according tothe present embodiment may be connected through the internal connectingpipe 144. The cooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment may bedisposed at the exhaust port 118 of the compressor chamber housing 112.That is, the cooling fan 110 according to the present embodiment may bedisposed at a portion where the compressor chamber housing 112 and theinternal connecting pipe 144 are connected. However, this is anexemplary embodiment, and the cooling fan 110 may be installed in thecompressor chamber 114 or in the inlet port 116 of the compressorchamber housing 112.

Accordingly, the air flowing through the compressor chamber 114 by theoperation of the cooling fan 110 flows to the compressor control panelchamber 142 through the internal connecting pipe 144 to cool thecompressor control panel 140. That is, it is possible to cool thecompressor control panel 140 using the air which flows through thecompressor chamber 114 and is discharged.

Hereinbefore, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have beenillustrated and described, but the present disclosure is not limited tothe specific embodiments described above, and various modifications canbe made by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to whichthe invention belongs without departing from the gist of the presentdisclosure claimed in the claims, and these modified implementationsshould not be understood individually from the technical sprit orperspective of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dryer comprising: a cabinet forming anexterior; a drum rotatably installed inside the cabinet; a heat pumpmodule including an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and anexpander through which a refrigerant circulates to perform heat exchangebetween flowing air and the evaporator or the condenser; a blower fanconfigured to cause the air subjected to the heat exchange in the heatpump module to flow to an inside of the drum; a compressor chamberhousing configured to reduce noise generated by the compressor and forma compressor chamber which is a space through which air flows around anouter periphery of the compressor; and a cooling fan configured to causeair to flow into the compressor chamber.
 2. The dryer of claim 1,wherein the cooling fan is disposed to face the compressor.
 3. The dryerof claim 1, wherein the compressor chamber housing includes an inletport through which air outside the cabinet flows into the compressorchamber, and an exhaust port through which air inside the compressorchamber flows to an outside of the compressor chamber housing.
 4. Thedryer of claim 3, wherein the cooling fan is disposed in the inlet portof the compressor chamber housing.
 5. The dryer of claim 4, wherein asurface on which the inlet port of the compressor chamber housing isformed faces one side of the cabinet.
 6. The dryer of claim 3, whereinthe cooling fan is disposed to be spaced apart from the inlet port ofthe compressor chamber housing.
 7. The dryer of claim 3, wherein thecooling fan is disposed at the exhaust port of the compressor chamberhousing.
 8. The dryer of claim 3, wherein the cooling fan is disposed atthe exhaust port of the compressor chamber housing.
 9. The dryer ofclaim 3, wherein the cooling fan is disposed inside the compressorchamber, and a size of the cooling fan is larger than a size of theinlet port formed in the compressor chamber housing.
 10. The dryer ofclaim 3, further comprising a connecting pipe configured to connect theinlet port of the compressor chamber housing and a cabinet-inlet portformed to cause external air to flow into one side of the cabinet toeach other.
 11. The dryer of claim 10, wherein the cooling fan isdisposed in the cabinet-inlet port formed on one side of the cabinet.12. The dryer of claim 1, wherein the compressor chamber housingincludes a sound absorbing material configured to reduce noise generatedby the compressor, and a structural member configured to maintain anouter shape of the compressor chamber housing.
 13. The dryer of claim12, wherein the compressor chamber housing includes a skin layerdisposed on both side surfaces of the sound absorbing material toinsulate the noise generated by the compressor.
 14. The dryer of claim3, wherein the compressor chamber housing further includes an auxiliaryhole formed so as not to interfere with a structure connected to thecompressor.
 15. The dryer of claim 1, further comprising: a compressorcontrol panel configured to control driving of the compressor; acompressor control panel chamber configured to form a space in which thecompressor control panel is disposed; and an inner connecting pipeconfigured to feed air exhausted from the compressor chamber to thecompressor control panel chamber.
 16. The dryer of claim 15, wherein thecooling fan is disposed at a portion in which the compressor chamberhousing and the inner connecting pipe are connected to each other.